France terror attack suspect ‘admits guilt’

Saying almost nothing when first arrested, Yassin Salhi, suspected of beheading his boss at a French gas factory, has confessed to his crime, sources close to the investigation said. He will now be transferred to a Paris facility.

The main suspect told detectives he had killed Herve Cornara in a
parking area before arriving at the plant in Saint
Quentin-Fallavier, before he attempted to cause an explosion, a
source told Reuters.

Salhi, 35, will now be transferred to Paris to be questioned
further, AFP reports. His detention there could last up to 96
hours before further action is taken.

It transpired earlier that the suspect also took a selfie with
his victim’s severed head, before it was found dangling from a
fence at the factory grounds. Additionally, the MMS was sent to a
Canadian number whose owner the investigation is currently trying
to determine, with help from the Canadians. The sender could also
have reportedly been in Syria, which is being investigated at
present.

Salhi’s wife, sister and four others were earlier detained, but
one of the group has since been released.

During questioning, Salhi mentioned having an argument with his
wife. She and his sister are still in custody.

He also mentioned having an argument with his boss. One colleague
told the i-Tele website that the two had had an argument a few
days prior to the killing, when Salhi dropped a fragile piece of
equipment.

The suspect’s testimony is currently being verified, but an
autopsy has not been able to determine whether it was consistent
with the cause of death.

French Prime Minister Manuel Valls has dedicated every available
resource in the police and domestic intelligence to the task of
combatting Islamic extremism.

"We cannot lose this war, because it is essentially a war of
civilization," he said in an interview broadcast over radio
Europe 1. “It is our society, our civilization and our values
that we must defend."